Dear Loved Ones, 

Saying goodbye is super easy when the people you love want to wine you and dine you and tell you how much they love you and miss you and whisper sweet nothings into your ear, well…something like that – you get the point. After two full weeks of dinners, drinks, coffees, parties, lunches, sweet notes and presents I have never felt more loved in my entire life. Everyone should be celebrated like this at least once in their lifetime. IDK, maybe that’s what weddings are for?! I guess in some strange-millennial-new agey way this was like a little wedding to myself and my true love, Travel.   

 Thanks again, friends. You’re the bestest! Muah.

The last few days I felt a bit/a lot hungover from what I’m calling The Adoration Bender of 2016 (please see above) or TAB for short. AND the jet lag’s not doing me any favors either. Ha!

By no means did I think this would be easy – or perfect – or pretty right out the gate (though a girl can hope). Not to mention the steep, STEEP learning curve of traveling as a lifestyle. However, I did anticipate an instant freedom from having the resources to run after that one thing I’ve wanted all my life. Caught up in the anticipation I kinda forgot about my daily comforts, norms, regulars and did I mention TAB?! 

Cue, the mind wars… 

I woke up this morning bright and early at 3:30am, damn jet lag, and my mind would not stop. What will I do today? How much money have I spent? Should I make some hostel friends? Can you Netflix and chill in a hostel? Should I just go all out and go on a sightseeing free-for-all (did I mention I can be a bit of an all or nothing person)? Why the hell is London so damn expensive? If there was a fire how would I get out of this labyrinth of a hostel? Remember that movie Hostel? Wait, Stop! Don’t go there. Why are they doing construction at 4am? If I move in my bunk will my bunkmate kill me in my sleep? Ahhh…Go. To. SLEEP! NOW!!!!!

 
That was my morning.

Now back to the learning curve – Living out of a backpack. Carrying that backpack everywhere. Repackaging that heavy, ass backpack erryday. Twice a day. #turtlelife. Eating out every meal. Eating carbs on carbs on carbs. Wanting to try every food ever made. #foodieproblems. How to not treat this like a vacation but a lifestyle. I can’t do every tourist attraction or binge on all the expensive sightseeing in each city, can I? Nope. But I can Netflix and chill in the hostel if I want to. I can spend more than a few hours in a coffee shop. Go on long walks. Get lost in a new city. Oh, and planning helps. #strictassbudget. 

And then there was Harrods. Oh Harrods…in another life we would have been lovers, friends, confidants, etc. (Reminder: #strictASSbudget #andagainwiththebackpack.)

Just like this random, disjointed, all over the place post – so are my thoughts, emotions, and feelings and you know what, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I may be all over the place but I’m also right where I’m suppose to be. New things take time, especially when you’re passionate about said new things. You want get it right. You wanna keep trying. You wanna fumble a bit so you know your limits. You want it to be your thing and your doing. And that will take time. Good news, that’s the one thing I have plenty of! Ha.   

It’s with sweet adoration and all the love that I miss you all. 

Hugs and Kisses. (But you know I’m not a hugger so let’s just pretend, k?)

Em

A little something extra…

Nerdy Girl Book Club (Still workshopping the title):

Just Finished Reading: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 

Favorite Quote: I felt like I had proof that not all days are the same length, not all time has the same weight. Proof that there are worlds and worlds on top of worlds, if you want them to be there. 

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like a bit of a tearjerker. 

Currently Reading: We Are Called to Rise by Laura Mcbride